Another Maternity Pay Question

[pettyprudence]

Hello, sorry for another SMP question but HR at work are useless.

I am expecting DC1 on 30th March. My employers only offer SMP. I have 13 days annual leave left for this year (to take before 31st March) and then the new annual leave period kicks in (21 days plus bank holidays). In intend to book the full 12 months maternity leave.

what is my best option and what am i entitled to re: holiday pay etc? HR have told me i must use all holiday leave before starting maternity leave (yipee i thought, but that was before i read on here that maternity leave will start as soon as baby is born?).

Am i allowed to take all my holiday leave (effectively taking me up to 1st week of May) and then start maternity leave even if baby has arrived?

Thank you x

No you can't I'm afriad.

As far as I am aware SMP will automatically start once the baby is born. You will have to either take some holiday soon before you go or start Maternity Leave a bit earlier than you anticipated to use up all your holiday allowance. Assuming you work full time can you start working a 4 day week or something to use up some days?

You cannot be paid your holiday pay anymore you have to take it as time off.

bugger, i wish they had made that clear at work! on the plus side, this means i will be leaving work sooner!

thanks

Good grief did your HR dept really not know that mat leave starts as soon as baby is born? That's absolutely shocking!

Be aware that if the baby comes early (i.e whilst you are on holiday if you take your hols immediately prior to mat leave), then your mat leave will automatically start and you may then lose some of your hols.

e.g if you planned to take hols for the last 2 weeks in march and the baby came one week into that hols, you would forfeit the last week of hols.

so doing 4 day week etc as suggested may be a good option

I know that my employer allow me to book all of my holiday at the end of my maternity leave, so that may be something you could do with those 21 days. As for the 13 days, everywhere I've read recommends a little getaway if possible before baby comes. I'm planning a simple few days at a B&B in the town where my dad lives, which gives me a break and a chance to see family.
For the rest, take a week off in week 36 or 37 in order to do any last bits around the house or shopping, visit friends etc and maybe jump start the excessive cleaning before the nesting kicks in when you're even bigger!
Just some ideas.